We are proud to announce that Dr. Wesley Schooler has been elected by Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital as Chief of Surgery. Congratulations!

The Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center is excited to announce that Dr. Schooler has been elected Chief of Surgery at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Congratulations Dr. Schooler!

Dr. Wesley Schooler and the Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center invites you to BRA Day(National Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day) – an evening of patient education, music and hors d’oeuvres on Wednesday October 21,2015 from 5-7PM at The Center for Specialized Surgery. Contact the practice for more information.

Location
The Center for Specialized Surgery
2927 De La Vina St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93105

RSVP to [email protected]

Please join Dr. Wesley Schooler and the Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center on Wednesday October 21, 2015 for Bra Day – National Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day at The Center for Specialized Surgery from 5-7PM. There will be music and appetizers for your enjoyment. Contact us for information.

Location
The Center for Specialized Surgery
2927 De La Vina St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93105

RSVP to [email protected]

The Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center is offering special pricing on injectables. Save $150 off Juvederm® and Botox® (minimum 20units) Combo or save $100 off one full syringe of Juvederm®. To book your appointment please call Giana at 805-687-7336 Ext.1 or email us at [email protected]. This injectables special ends August 31st, 2015.

Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center is offering a 20% discount on permanent makeup services August 25th through August 29th. Contact us today to book your appointment.

A very friendly and considerate staff made my experience exceptional. What could have been self conscious and embarrassing was actually easy. I appreciate the staff sharing their own experiences and Dr Buchanan’s humor keeping it light and honest. Thank you! ~HG

Dr. Wesley Schooler explains the benefits of implant-based, autologous, and combination breast reconstruction to help rebuild the breasts after cancer treatment.

Santa Barbara, CA—Recognizing the need for multiple breast reconstruction solutions for breast cancer survivors, Santa Barbara plastic surgeon Wesley Schooler, MD offers patients three distinctive methods for rebuilding breasts after mastectomy. He says providing a selection of procedures using breast implants, body tissue, or a combination of the two often allows the freedom to design a treatment plan that best suits the unique needs of each patient.

In a recent blog post titled, “Rebuilding the Breast After Cancer,” Dr. Schooler discusses how breast reconstruction often provides women with numerous psychological benefits. However, he cautions that candidacy requirements will typically dictate whether breast implants alone, breast implants combined with body tissue, or body tissue alone are suitable options. He provides an overview of these three procedures in his follow-up post titled, “Determining the Right Approach For Breast Reconstruction.”

Dr. Schooler goes into greater detail about natural breast reconstruction in a follow-up post titled, “Autologous Breast Reconstruction: Becoming Whole Again.” He focuses on the DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator) flap technique, which he says can often produce results that feel natural with minimal risk to muscle function from the donor area, which is typically the abdomen. Other stated benefits can include:

• Contouring in the donor location
• Follow-up surgeries are typically unnecessary
• Utilization of patient’s own tissue
• Potential for combination with cosmetic breast surgery
• Surgery is generally only required on affected breast

Furthermore, Dr. Schooler says, “[The transplanted tissue] pretty much lives with you and moves with you and is durable for many years. It doesn’t require any changes or cause contraction.” The only caveat, he notes, is patients undergoing radiation therapy should generally wait until completing their treatments. He clarifies which procedures are available to irradiated patients in a blog titled, “Breast Reconstruction and Radiation Therapy.” Though complications can arise with certain breast implant-based reconstruction methods following radiation, he also says a combination technique using implants and healthy tissue can often rebuild the breast mound with fewer risks than procedures utilizing implants alone.

Ultimately, Dr. Schooler says he aims to help restore confidence in patients dealing with breast cancer. Noting the rewarding nature of the work, he states, “With breast cancer, it’s a very emotional thing for women. The satisfaction that they can kind of move past dwelling on the cancer and really focus on becoming whole again, feeling normal again…that’s the best satisfaction.”

About Wesley Schooler, MD, FACS

Dr. Schooler is a board-certified plastic surgeon with over 11 years of training. He earned his medical degree and completed General Surgery and Critical Care training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then completed a residency in Plastic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco before relocating for a fellowship in Orthopaedic Hand Surgery and Microsurgery at the Hand Center of San Antonio, where he simultaneously obtained extensive experience in breast microsurgical reconstruction. Dr. Schooler continues to train in the latest techniques and participates in innovative research in the field of plastic surgery. He is available for interview upon request.

To learn more about Dr. Schooler and Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center, please visit sbplasticsurgery.com and facebook.com/pages/Santa-Barbara-Skin-Aesthetics/90407104284.

Contact:

Santa Barbara Plastic Surgery Center
427 W. Pueblo St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
(805) 395-4545

Rosemont Media
(858) 200-0044
www.rosemontmedia.com

Survivors of breast cancer receive a number of physical and emotional benefits from breast reconstruction surgery. The procedure can often restore a familiar feminine silhouette, improve confidence, and, in the case of autologous reconstruction, provide natural-looking results that feel authentic.

There are a number of available approaches for autologous reconstruction, and many of them begin by harvesting a flap of tissue used to rebuild the breasts. Comprised of a combination of excess skin and fat tissue, Dr. Wesley Schooler, our board-certified plastic surgeon, utilizes the muscle-sparing DIEP (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator) flap sourced from the abdomen. As a free-transforming flap, it is completely separated from the origin tissue. Dr. Schooler prefers this procedure, as it is designed to allow a full return to functionality after healing.

After obtaining the body tissue, Dr. Schooler will reshape and secure it microsurgically to the chest wall. Then, he will reconnect the blood vessels, creating living tissue that moves with the body and feels very natural. Benefits of natural breast reconstruction can include:

• Natural looking and feeling results
• Flatter abdominal appearance
• No surgery on the other breast unless breast lift or breast reduction is requested
• Use of the body’s own tissue
• Typically permanent results—no need for additional surgery

Ultimately, choosing to rebuild the breasts with natural body tissues can help restore a sense of empowerment, but it may not be the most effective technique for every patient. Dr. Schooler can help patients determine which procedure provides the best opportunity for success based on their individual needs and goals during the consultation process.

For more information on autologous reconstruction or any other breast reconstruction technique offered at our practice, or if you wish to schedule a consultation, please contact us today.

It took me a while to decide what I was going to write because there is no way I could thank Dr Buchanan in just one statement! In August of 2014 I had a Breast Reduction and Lift along with Liposuction of the Stomach and Hip areas. It has improved my active lifestyle more than I ever imagined. I work out a lot and these were areas that I had a really hard time improving upon. Every day since surgery, my body seems to get better and better! I have gotten faster in running and improved my golf game. This is by far the most caring and professional doctor’s office I have ever been in. All I can say is having the surgery was the 2nd best decision, Dr Buchanan was the 1st! Thank You!!

Oh, and please tell Dr Buchanan that since the surgery I went from a 32 handicap to a 22. Not too shabby. And that I even broke 90! Thanks again! ~SJ